Escape From NOM, while not providing anything exceptionally new to the app store, certainly has a winning combination of fun, humor, and challenge. With 30 free levels, a level designer, and facebook connectivity, trying this game out is a no brainer.

Escape from NOM is an exciting mix of slime and blob that will keep you coming back for more. Its cute graphic design combined with exciting game play keeps the game fresh throughout many of the levels. Additional tools and challenges, added at a fairly appropriate pace, make each few levels a new kind of challenge, changing the approach of the player in order to finish the level.

Escape from NOM’s tutorial levels, the first 6, are extremely informative, complete with descriptions of what each item does, and how it fits into the scheme of the game. This is continued in later levels where new elements are introduced, making sure that items aren’t just thrown at the player without any real understanding of how those items work.

NOM shares game play characteristics of several other games currently available on the app store. Players are tasked with trying to get their blob, named Alan, to the safe waters below. Glu calls it water, but when water looks purple, yellow, and pink, I call it slime. Anyways, each level has various requirements to complete, and the more you meet the better chance you have for a gold medal. First, Alan must be the same color as the water. Second, you must avoid the dreaded Noms, who are out to eat Alan. If Alan is the same color as the Noms, he can pass right through them undetected. (I wonder if that works for my wife. Camouflage anyone?)

Graphically NOM is cartoony and fun, and each loading screen offers mild humor to fill the short time period between rounds. Three sets of 10 rounds are available for free, with an additional set of rounds available as an in-app purchase.

NOTE: Escape from NOM was originally released with a price tag of $2.99. This was done in error, and Glu has contacted us to let us know that anyone who sends a copy of their receipt to [email protected] will receive a promotional code for any one of Glu’s various games, regardless of price. They apologize to the customers that have paid for the game, and have since corrected the error.

While NOM certainly doesn’t bring anything shockingly new to the app store, it’s a respectable game that provides short bursts of fun, and is especially great for busy schedules. Plus, now that everything is ironed out and this app is free, there’s no reason NOT to try it out. With a pretty interesting level editor, Facebook connectivity, and 30 free levels, this is an easy must try.

iPhone Screenshots

Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.